gary friedman

What’s in your Suitcase?

Posted by hil

If you are in Melbourne, the shadow puppetry featured in tonight’s Melbourne Australia Day Concert 2012, What’s in your Suitcase?‘ should be a treat. Gary Friedman is the puppetry producer and puppeteer, accompanied by a number of supporting puppeteers, and Conor Fox the puppetry director. Gary also designed the 60 square metre suitcase set that doubles as a shadow screen. I hope we get to see video footage of the puppetry sequences later.

I’m happy to see a strong representation of the multicultural stories and identity that make up Australia today.

The concert starts at 7pm at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and the program and full credits are available in the concert handout.

Update 2015: here’s the video!

World of Paper creativity workshop in Sydney

Posted by hil

Gary Friedman from Puppetry News and Sharon Gelber are  running one of their awesome day-long creativity workshops A World of Paper in Sydney on 10 October. They have given the workshop all over the world, but maybe not in Sydney before. Time is running out to sign up, so don’t miss out – check it out now and give yourself a treat.

Looking for a monster

Posted by hil

Looking for a monster

(photo: Sidat de Silva)

Looking for a Monster is based on an original puppet play written by a thirteen year old boy, Hanus Hachenburg in the Terezin concentration camp in 1943, shortly before his transportation to the Auschwitz Death Camp. In 1999, puppeteer Gary Friedman discovered the play in a Jerusalem archive. It was performed for the first time in 2001 and has just been filmed in Sydney for inclusion in Gary’s documentary film about the life of Hanus Hachenburg. Gary has a slideshow of photos taken at the shoot in the sidebar of his blog, Puppetry News, and you can also see individual photos in this gallery.

Incidentally, Gary is running another Puppetry for TV course starting in June.

Gary Friedman is blogging!

Posted by hil

Gary Friedman has lauched his blog Puppetry News and Views. Gary has a real passion for puppetry, and an absolute wealth of experience and resources in the field, so be sure to check in with him often.

An Introduction to the Creativity of Puppetry: One-day Workshops with Gary Friedman

Posted by hil

The experienced puppeteer and international trainer, Gary Friedman, is leading workshops entitled ‘An Introduction to the Creativity of Puppetry’. This one-day hands-on workshop is ideal for uni-students, teachers and professionals, and will include creative genres like object improvisation, paper performance and simple puppetry techniques in performance.

Over the past 20 years, Gary has used puppetry to nurture creativity through performance, all over the world. Participants will discover how the puppet, as a visual metaphor, can empower them with the confidence to improvise and perform.

Venue : Rex Cramphorn Studio, Dept of Performing Studies, University of Sydney
When : Sunday 15 and 22 August 2004, 10am to 5pm
Workshop fee : only $85- for the full-day (including materials)
Max participants : 20

For bookings or further info, contact Gary:

Gary Friedman Productions : Seymour Theatre, University of Sydney, PO Box 1125, Bondi Junction, NSW 1355, Australia
Office : 02-9351.7948
Mobile : +61-401-038.985
Email : gary@africanpuppet.com

Puppet making workshops with Gary Friedman

Posted by hil

Gary Friedman, who is an internationally renowned producer, director and puppet performer, with over 30 years of experience working on educational puppetry programs throughout Africa, Canada, Australia and Europe, is running some puppet making workshops in the middle of the year.

Gary has conducted puppetry and visual theatre workshops in a number of interactive environments. In the early 1980s, he produced and performed socio-political live performance satires such as Puppets Against Apartheid. He is also known for his puppetry programs, such as Puppets Against Aids, Puppets in Prison, Puppets for Democracy, Puppets Against Corruption, and Puppets Against Abuse. In 1994, he formed African Puppet Television, and later developed and co-produced a children’s educational series, in six local languages, in which he performed a character that travelled the country discovering children and their cultures throughout South Africa. Gary immigrated to Australia in 2002 and is now based at the Seymour Theatre, University of Sydney.

In collaboration with AFTRS, FTI, and Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Gary will be conducting workshops in Fremantle, WA, from 5-9 May 2004. These include workshops on Puppetry-in-Health, Education and Community Development and an Introductory Workshop on Puppetry for Television.

Gary will also be holding a Puppetry-for-Television Workshop during June and July 2004 at the Seymour Theatre, University of Sydney.

Details of these programs can be found at Unima Australia, or by contacting Gary:

Gary Friedman Productions : Seymour Theatre,
University of Sydney, PO Box 1125, Bondi Junction, NSW 1355, Australia
Office : 02-9351.7948
Mobile : +61-401-038.985
Email : gary@africanpuppet.com
Web : africanpuppet.com